Mental health crisis among European students: Depression, anxiety widespread

Pars Today – A European network has issued a warning about a mental health crisis among students across Europe.

Psychologists, noting the increase in mental health crises among students in Europe, identify academic pressure, financial difficulties, and growing feelings of loneliness and isolation as the main causes.

According to Pars Today, citing Quds Online, a recent 2025 report from the Nightline Europe network paints a concerning picture of student mental health across the continent. Based on an analysis of more than 15,000 calls and online chats with trained volunteers during the 2023–2024 academic year in Austria, France, Germany, Ireland, and the United Kingdom, the report indicates that psychological problems among higher education students are on the rise.

Three years ago, research indicated that 40 percent of higher education students in Europe faced mental health challenges, with one in five experiencing a mental disorder. New findings now suggest that the situation has worsened.

According to the findings, depression and anxiety are the most common problems, affecting 71 percent of students. Following these are attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) at 25 percent, eating disorders at 20 percent, personality disorders at 11 percent, and substance use disorders at 8 percent.

Most mental disorders in the European Union appear before the age of 25, with half becoming evident by age 14.

The upward trend in these problems is striking. For example, in Ireland, the rate of severe depression among young people aged 18 to 25 rose from 14 percent in 2012 to 21 percent in 2019.

France faces an even graver situation. Suicidal thoughts among young people aged 18 to 24 increased by 218 percent, rising from 3.3 percent in 2014 to 7.2 percent in 2021.

Analysis of Nightline calls shows that 10.28 percent of European calls concerned suicide, but in France, this figure rises to 16.20 percent—1.57 times the European average. France also records the highest rates of calls related to loneliness and homesickness (16 percent), insecurity and housing issues (10 percent), and physical and psychological violence (4 percent).

France ranks second only to the United Kingdom in calls concerning sexual violence among students.

Vulnerable groups, such as students from racial minorities, those facing economic insecurity, or students with disabilities, are at higher risk. The World Health Organization estimates that 12 billion workdays are lost globally each year due to depression and anxiety, equating to a productivity loss of approximately one trillion dollars.

At the student level, this crisis not only disrupts the personal development of young people but also places a heavy burden on mental health services and the educational system.